The socially relaxed city has seen a cautious feminist revival despite authorities’ growing alarm at women who shun traditional roles

In a small, unassuming bookstore in south-west China, a discreet community of women dream of a more equal future. Here in Chengdu, 42-year-old Shen Shen runs one of the country’s leading feminist bookstores.

“The world doesn’t lack bookstores for men,” she says, surrounded by piles of volumes by authors including Judith Butler, Simone de Beauvoir and Chizuko Ueno.

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Hilton has worn many hats since he arrived in the US 14 years ago, and now faces steep odds of defeating Democratic Xavier Becerra in November

After years of working in the background of Conservative party politics in Britain, Steve Hilton has passed the first major test as his own front man: clinching a spot in the November run-off to become California’s next governor.

The outcome was far from a given under California’s open primary system, which rewards the top two vote winners regardless of party, and the particular challenge of running as a Republican in one of the most solidly blue states in the country.

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Platner, whose campaign was hit by series of negative headlines, to face Susan Collins in key midterm contest

Graham Platner, a Marine veteran, oyster farmer and progressive activist, has scaled a mountain of personal controversies to win the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in Maine.

His victory on Tuesday caps a remarkable rise for a candidate who has never held elected office and whose campaign was shadowed by negative headlines that might have ended a more conventional political career.

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Nasa astronaut Jessica Meir, part of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, released a timelapse showing the southern lights as seen from the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. They appear near the poles because Earth's magnetic field channels charged particles from the sun toward those regions, where they collide with the atmosphere and create shimmering curtains of colour. 'As opposed to the previous aurora I’ve seen, this one danced and snaked its way directly below us, putting on quite a show. I am in awe of this ethereal and emotionally evocative phenomenon,' Meir wrote on social media

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Second car bomb was discovered and blown up by authorities; more panic buying of fuel in Russia as Ukrainian attacks bite. What we know on day 1,568

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The Pentagon has added Alibaba, BYD, Baidu, Unitree, and other Chinese companies to its list of firms it says support China's military, barring them from U.S. defense contracts. The companies and China's embassy deny the allegations. The Associated Press reports: Created in 2021 by a congressional mandate, the list (PDF) seeks to identify Chinese companies that the Pentagon considers to have links to the Chinese military -- not only those directly controlled by the Chinese military and security forces but also those contributing to the country's defense industrial base. When updating the list last year, the Pentagon said the Chinese military sought to acquire advanced technologies and expertise developed by Chinese companies, universities and research programs that "appear to be civilian entities."

The Chinese Embassy on Monday accused the U.S. of "overstretching the concept of national security and making discriminatory lists to go after Chinese companies." It said Chinese companies observe the laws and regulations of the countries where they do business. "The U.S. should stop its wrong practice and create a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies," the embassy said in a statement. [...] The Chinese Embassy on Monday accused the U.S. of "overstretching the concept of national security and making discriminatory lists to go after Chinese companies." It said Chinese companies observe the laws and regulations of the countries where they do business. "The U.S. should stop its wrong practice and create a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies," the embassy said in a statement.

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The European Commission has ordered Meta to temporarily restore free WhatsApp Business API access for rival AI chatbots while it investigates whether Meta's ban on third-party assistants abuses its dominant position. Meta says it will appeal, calling the move "regulatory overreach" that would let major AI companies use a paid WhatsApp product for free. The BBC reports: The EU said it began its investigation, in December 2025, after Meta banned third-party general-purpose AI assistants from the WhatsApp for Business API. It said that appeared to be an abuse of Meta's dominant position in European markets. So, as an interim measure as its investigation continues, it has given Meta five working days to re-instate access for third-party general-purpose AI assistants to the WhatsApp for Business API under the same terms and conditions that were in place previously.

"In rapidly evolving markets, competition can be lost long before a final decision is adopted," said Teresa Ribera, the Commission's executive vice-president for clean, just and competitive transition. "This is why these interim measures will remain in place for the duration of the investigation." She added the decision "preserved choice for citizens across Europe on the AI assistants they want to use with WhatsApp, without that decision being made for them." The Commission said if Meta failed to comply with its interim decision it could be fined up to 10% up of its total turnover. "The European Commission has decided that OpenAI and some of the largest companies in the world can use the paid-for WhatsApp Business product for free," it said in a statement.

"This is regulatory overreach subsidized by the many European companies that pay. We will appeal."

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Greg Adams Photography posted a photo:

Open Double Decker Bus Crossing the Tower Bridge, London

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

date stamped on slide, May 1971

mikeleonardvisualarts posted a photo:

Old Man Hiking has added a photo to the pool:

TER APEL (ANP) - In de nacht van dinsdag op woensdag brengen twaalf asielzoekers de nacht door op het voorterrein van het aanmeldcentrum in Ter Apel. Dat meldt hulporganisatie MiGreat.

Volgens een woordvoerder van de organisatie gaat het om mensen die te laat zijn aangekomen om de bus te halen naar de nachtopvang in Roden. Voor hen heeft MiGreat op het terrein zeven tenten opgezet. Het was er in de nacht behoorlijk koud, aldus de organisatie.

De gemeente Noordenveld, waar Roden onder valt, regelt 150 slaapplekken voor vluchtelingen die niet in het overvolle Ter Apel kunnen verblijven. Het aanmeldcentrum zit sinds 20 mei boven de maximale opvangcapaciteit. Sindsdien wordt er telkens tijdelijke nachtopvang geregeld op andere locaties.

BRUSSEL (ANP) - De winnende combinatie van het loterijspel EuroMillions is dinsdag geraden door een speler in België. De winnaar ontvangt een kleine 175 miljoen euro - 174.984.088 euro om precies te zijn. Dat staat op de website van de Belgische Nationale Loterij. Het is volgens die website het hoogste bedrag dat in België ooit werd gewonnen met EuroMillions.

De winnaar duidde als enige de juiste combinatie aan van vijf nummers (2, 7, 23, 44 en 46) en twee sterren (3 en 5).

De vorige recordwinst in België bedroeg 168 miljoen euro en dateert van oktober 2016.

EuroMillions is een loterijspel dat in twaalf Europese landen wordt aangeboden, waaronder dus ook België. Nederland behoort niet tot die landen.

mikeleonardvisualarts has added a photo to the pool:

uchi uchi has added a photo to the pool:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

uchi uchi has added a photo to the pool:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Na het mislukte EK was het aan de nieuwe bondscoach Arjan Veurink het Nederlands elftal weer op de rit te krijgen. Hij maakte indruk met veel jong talent, maar door kostbaar puntenverlies wist Oranje zich niet rechtstreeks te plaatsen voor het WK in Brazilië.